Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña speaks in a press conference on Tuesday, March 5. | CDN Photo/ Pia Piquero
CEBU CITY, Philippines – No confirmation yet from City Councilor Nestor Archival to run for mayoral candidacy.
Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña confirmed in a press conference on March 5 that City Councilor Nestor Archival has not yet confirmed his intention to run for mayor in the 2025 midterm elections.
READ: Tommy Osmeña to run for Cebu City Vice Mayor in 2025 elections
But one thing Osmeña said was that if Archival chose not to run for mayor, he would not run too.
“No confirmation. Even me, don’t have confirmation yet. All I said is if Archival will run, I will run with him. If he will not run, I will not run,” he said.
He stated that he is not willing to endorse another personality as he sees potential in Archival as a good leader for Cebu City.
According to Osmeña, Archival has “clean hands” and good intentions, as evidenced by the donation of his salary to scholarships.
He also refuted residents’ claims about Archival’s ability to run for mayor, arguing that wealth should not be a prerequisite for candidacy.
READ: Nestor Archival not sure of mayoralty run; cites need for resources, consultation
“Archival is not poor. He is not the big spender but he’s not poor. His entire salary goes to scholarships. Limpyo iyang kamot, he’s focused, he’s a professional. So, that’s why I said, based on what I see right now under [these] circumstances, he’s the best. He’s not zero balance [and] he’s the best councilor,” Osmeña remarked.
Moreover, Osmeña stated that even if there were clamor from the people for him to run as mayor, he would not grant it, as he believes he is no longer physically capable of fulfilling the duties of the position.
“No, because I can’t. I cannot physically do it. Why will I lie? If I say I can do it, I’ll do it… Archival can do it. He can do a better job physically than me,” he said.
The former mayor even joked that he is not like Manny Pacquiao, who can go 12 rounds in a fight.
While acknowledging the limitations of his body, which he states is only functioning at 50 percent, he assured the public that even if he were to run for vice mayor, he could rely on his mind, which he claims is still 95 to 97 percent functional.
READ: Comelec downplays speculation over simultaneous polls in 2025
Meanwhile, Osmeña remarked that if people prioritize wealth or resources over leadership capability, then they should consider voting for other groups.
“You want rich candidates who get money from contractors, tax evaders, drug lords, all of that? No. Look what happened to this administration. Ang contractors sa drainage dawat ug 200 million, [nidagan] (The contractors of a drainage received P200 million [ran]. Ang CCMC, [nigasto] nata’g P3 billion nawa ang contractor (In CCMC, [we already spent] P3 billion but the contractor is already gone). 1 billion per floor, no contractor… I was accused of overpricing SRP [and] SRP cost 6 billion, overpriced ba na (Is that overpriced)? 300 hectares, kompleto na’y wifi pa, suga, drainage. Kining CCMC, 1 billion per floor?”
Osmeña further emphasized his goal for Cebu City, stating that he aimed to return the city to its people.
“My objective is for Cebu to win! We want to give Cebu an opportunity to get Cebu back to the Cebuanos. We’ll lose? Okay, I’ll accept that. But, I’m not going to be the mayor of parasites. Sorry,” he said.